ANDERSON COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — After a unanimous vote by a site based council, Anderson County High School will be offering a World Religion class instead of a Bible elective about the historical influences of the Old Testament.
The move comes after a social studies teacher expressed concerned over the standards laid out for the course by the Kentucky Department of Education, and the constitutionality of the law that requires a Bible elective.
World Religions will be on the curriculum as an optional elective.
Originally, Anderson County Schools were going to offer a Biblical Literacy course, but on Tuesday, the high school council voted unanimously to change it to a World Religions course. The course will teachings that include Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and other popular world religions.
Organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union are thankful for the school's reconsideration.
"We think that parents, not government, or school officials, are the ones responsible and should be the primary ones shaping their children's religious beliefs, its a deeply personal matter and it is best left to their family and religious leaders," said Corey Shapiro with the ACLU.
Students that signed up for Biblical Literacy will have an opportunity to drop World Religions.
